Arch of Constantine

The Arch of Constantine is an ancient Roman monument dedicated to an important military victory by the emperor Constantine. The arch was constructed about 315 Common Era (CE) on a roadway in the heart of the empire's capital of Rome. To enable the project to be completed more quickly, many parts of the arch were reused from older monuments. The marble structure is the largest surviving example of a triumphal arch, a purely decorative style of Roman architecture built to commemorate significant events. In addition to celebrating the emperor's military victory, the Arch of Constantine contains numerous sculptures and inscriptions that glorify his successful deeds and governing skills.

Background

In architecture, an arch is a curved structure that supports the weight above it and distributes the force of that weight outward and into the ground. The oldest known arches were wedge-shaped structures used in Mesopotamia in the second millennium Before the Common Era (BCE). Because of their shape, these arches allowed builders to create larger openings and were primarily used in doorways and underground drains. The Egyptians and Greeks combined the arch with a series of columns to enable it to support roofs and larger weights.

Roman arches were modified from the architecture of their predecessors in Italy, the Etruscan civilization. The Romans improved on Etruscan design by flattening the curve of the arch and spacing arches at intervals to support more weight. The Romans used the innovative design to build bridges, aqueducts, and amphitheaters, such as the famous Roman Colosseum.

Triumphal arches were standalone structures built to honor military victories, the succession of a new emperor, or other important events. The arches were most often constructed over busy roads or in place of city gates. They served no functional purpose other than to stand as a reminder of their namesakes' accomplishments. The earliest known triumphal arches in Rome were built about 196 BCE by politician Lucius Stertinius to honor his military victories in Spain.

Overview

The emperor Constantine was born about the year 280 CE in the provincial city of Naissus in modern-day Serbia. The Roman Empire of the time was embroiled in conflict and civil war. The empire split into western and eastern halves in 285 CE and was ruled by a group of four co-emperors—two in the east and two in the west. In 293, Constantine's father, Constantius, was named one of the rulers of the Western empire. Constantius died in 306 and was succeeded by Constantine. This succession was disputed by Maxentius, the son of a former emperor who declared himself a ruler of the empire. Constantine gathered his armies and marched on Rome. In 312, he defeated Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge and seized sole control of the Western empire. Constantine is also noted as being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He died in 337.

In 315, the Roman Senate decided to honor Constantine by building him a triumphal arch in a prominent section of Rome. To complete the arch quickly, architects used sculptures, columns, and parts of older monuments that had been built centuries earlier. Marble panels were reused from an arch honoring second-century emperor Marcus Aurelius; decorative elements depicting hunting scenes and religious ceremonies were removed from a monument to Hadrian, who ruled Rome from 117 to 138; and sculptures of soldiers were taken from the Forum of Emperor Trajan, who ruled from 98 to 117.

The Arch of Constantine was constructed on the Via Triumphalis, a busy thoroughfare often used by emperors as a route to celebrate victories. It was located near the Roman Colosseum and the Temple of Venus and Roma, the largest temple in ancient Rome. The monument was made of gray and white marble and consisted of three arches—one main, central arch with two smaller ones on either side. The arch stood 69 feet (21 meters) high and 84 feet (25.6 meters) wide. Mounted on the sides of and between the three arches were eight large Corinthian columns—four on each side. Corinthian columns were adopted from the ancient Greeks and featured elaborate leaf- and floral-pattern decorations at the top of the column.

In addition to the elements taken from older monuments, sculptors carved new images designed to honor the victories and accomplishments of Constantine. An inscription above the central arch on both sides of the monument credits Constantine's "divine inspiration and his own greatness of spirit" for his victory over Maxentius. The inscription was originally cast in bronze letters. Sculptures show Constantine winning the Battle of Milvian Bridge and an earlier victory at the Battle of Verona. Other images portray Constantine as a wise ruler, addressing the Roman Forum, handing out gifts to the public, and speaking to his troops. Smaller sculptures on the arch depict the sun, moon, captive prisoners, Roman soldiers, and winged deities.

During the medieval era, the arch was converted into part of a fortress by a powerful family fighting for control of Italy. The arch was restored in the fifteenth century, though one of its columns was removed by Pope Clement VIII in 1591 for use in building a nearby church. In 1960, the arch was used as the finish line for the marathon event in the Summer Olympic Games.

The Arch of Constantine is the largest surviving triumphal arch in Rome. It underwent a major renovation in the eighteenth century and was again refurbished in the 1990s as part of the Roman Catholic Church's Jubilee celebration for the year 2000. Further renovations were made in the early 2010s. The monument has inspired several other architectural works, including the Brandenburg Gate in Potsdam, Germany; the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in Paris, France; and the Central Park West façade of the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Bibliography

"Arch of Constantine." State University of New York at Oneonta, employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/smarthistory/arch‗constantine.htm. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Bardill, Jonathan. Constantine, Divine Emperor of the Christian Golden Age. Cambridge UP, 2012.

Bileta, Vedran. “Arch of Constantine: The Monument With Many Faces.” TheCollector, 25 July 2021, www.thecollector.com/arch-of-constantine-the-monument-with-many-faces. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Cartwright, Mark. "The Arch of Constantine, Rome." World History Encyclopedia, 9 June 2013, www.worldhistory.org/article/497/the-arch-of-constantine-rome. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Ferris, Iain. The Arch of Constantine: Inspired by the Divine. Amberley Publishing, 2013.

Findley, Andrew. "Arch of Constantine." Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/late-empire/a/arch-of-constantine. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

"Roman Art (c. 500 BCE–500 CE)." Visual-Arts-Cork.com, www.visual-arts-cork.com/roman-art.htm. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Strickland, Carol. The Annotated Arch: A Crash Course in the History of Architecture. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2001.

Wasson, Donald L. "Constantine I." World History Encyclopedia, 19 Apr. 2013, www.worldhistory.org/Constantine‗I. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.